THREE men accused of using catapults to kill or maim 55 sparrows have been arrested for illegal hunting.

Fengxian District prosecutors said that around 10:30pm last August 31 two of the suspects, identified as Han Bin and Wang Jun, were strolling in Tuolin Town and decided to have a sparrow barbecue.

They called a friend, identified as Zhang Kun, asking him to bring tools to capture sparrows. Zhang brought a flashlight, two catapults and pellets. The trio then shot down 55 sparrows in an hour, added prosecutors, at which point patrolling police spotted them. Forty-six sparrows were found dead, while the remaining nine were dying.

In 2000, sparrows were listed in China as “valuable wildlife” and were granted protected status. Under the law, it is regarded as a serious offense to illegally hunt more than 20 wild animals.

The three suspects face at least a five-year prison sentence if found to be guilty.